The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 3/3/5 Football’s Ewers named Maxwell Award semifinalist
11.12.2024 | Football
The junior quarterback was announced as a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award on Tuesday.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was named a 2024 semifinalist for the 88th Maxwell Award Collegiate Player of the Year, the Maxwell Football Club announced Tuesday. Ewers is one of 16 semifinalists up for the award.
Presented annually to the Collegiate Player of the Year, Longhorn Legends Tommy Nobis (1965), Ricky Williams (1998), Vince Young (2005) and Colt McCoy (2009) each won the Maxwell Award during their careers. Ewers is the first Longhorn semifinalist for the accolade since former Texas running back Bijan Robinson in 2022.
The Southlake, Texas, product is a third-year player who has played in and started 29 games on the Forty Acres, leading UT to 22 wins. In seven starts in 2024, Ewers has completed 149-of-215 passes (69 percent) for 1,722 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 246 passing yards per game.
In addition to being announced a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, Ewers was tabbed a Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 10 Finalist on Oct. 31 and was also named to the Davey O'Brien Award QB Class of 2024. On Monday, Ewers was named to the Davey O'Brien Great 8, the East-West Shrine Bowl Monday Morning Quarterback and Manning Award Stars of the Week lists following the Longhorns 49-17 win over Florida on Nov. 9.
Ewers has earned a plethora of weekly honors this season, including SEC Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 9), Manning Award Star of the Week (Sept. 9), Reese's Senior Bowl Offensive Player of the Week (Sept. 9), Davey O'Brien Great 8 (Sept. 9), Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award Player of the Week (Sept. 10) and Maxwell Award Player of the Week (Sept. 10).
Prior to the season, Ewers was named to preseason watch lists for the Davey O'Brien Award, Walter Camp Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Maxwell Award, Manning Award and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award along with being named preseason second-team All-SEC by the media and league's coaches.
The Southlake, Texas, native ignited the Longhorns to a 49-17 win vs. Florida on Nov. 9 to move UT to 8-1 overall and 4-1 in conference play. Ewers completed 19-of-27 (70.4 percent) passes for 333 yards and a career-high five touchdowns through 2.5 quarters of play. Ewers is the fourth SEC quarterback since 1996 with five touchdown passes of 20+ yards in a conference game, joining Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa (Sept. 28, 2019), Georgia's Joe Cox (Sept. 19, 2009) and Kentucky's Jared Lorenzen (Nov. 10, 2001). Ewers extended his passing touchdown streak to 20-consecutive games in the victory – the longest active streak in the FBS which he shares with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Ewers is one of two quarterbacks in program history to throw a touchdown pass in 20+-consecutive games, trailing Colt McCoy's program-record streak of 29-straight games. Ewers' five touchdown passes against Florida tied for the third-most in single-game program history, one behind the program-record of six set by Colt McCoy (Baylor, 2006) and Casey Thompson (Kansas, 2021). Ewers has now been credited with multiple passing touchdowns in six of his seven starts this season with three-plus touchdowns in back-to-back games after darting three vs. Vanderbilt on Oct. 26. Ewers has passed for three or more touchdowns four times this season. Ewers' four first-half passing touchdowns vs. the Gators marked the most he's thrown since spiraling four in the first half of the 2023 Big 12 Championship game. With his 333 passing yards against the Gators, Ewers now has 7,378 career passing yards, passing Chris Simms (1999-02; 7,097) for sixth in the program's career passing yard list. With five passing touchdowns on the day, Ewers has 56 career passing touchdowns, surpassing James Brown (1994-97) for fifth in UT history.
Ewers headlines a Texas offense that ranks ninth nationally in total offense (465.2 ypg) and team passing efficiency (166.25) and 10th in completion percentage (68.5 percent), scoring offense (38.9 ppg) and passing offense (301.1 ypg). Ewers also sits amongst the nation's best in several individual statistical categories, including 11th in completion percentage (69.3 percent), 11th in points responsible for per game (17.4), 14th in passing efficiency and 19th in passing touchdowns (19).
Semifinalist voting for the Maxwell Award will begin on Tuesday, Nov. 12, and will close on Nov. 23. Three finalists for the award will be announced on Nov. 26 with a finalist round of voting taking place at that time. Eligible voters include Maxwell Football Club members, NCAA head football coaches, sports information directors and selected national media. All semifinalists are listed in alphabetical order by school with the player's school, position and class designated.
The winner of the 88th Maxwell Award will be announced as part of the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show which will broadcast live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec. 12. The formal presentation of the Maxwell Award will take place at the 88th Maxwell Awards Gala that will be held on Friday, March 14, 2025 at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
Ewers and No. 3/3/5 Texas travel to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, Nov. 16, inside Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. The game will air on ABC with Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst) and Katie George (sideline) on the call.
